Patriots 2014 preseason opener total viewership up nearly 25,000 from last year

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The Patriots opened their 2014 preseason campaign in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, Aug. 7 with a 23-6 loss against the Redskins, but the game still attracted 519,300 total viewers, marking a 5 percent increase in total viewers from last year’s preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles that drew 494,700 total viewers.

The game delivered a household rating of 13.8 and market share of 24. It was the most-watched Patriots preseason opener among men aged 25-54 since Nielsen switched to its current LPM (Local People Meter) measurement method in 2002. Overall, Patriots-Redskins ranked among the top three most-watched opening preseason games since 2002.

WBZ Channel 4’s Patriots GameDay pregame show ranked second locally for Thursday programming with 226,200 total viewers (Patriots game ranked No. 1) and enjoyed a 49 percent rating increase from last year among men aged 25-54. Patriots 5th Quarter Preseason also enjoyed success on Thursday night, as it averaged 111,000 total viewers and drew an 88 percent ratings increase from last year among men aged 25-54.

The Patriots return to Foxborough this week to take on the Philadelphia Eagles in their preseason home opener on Thursday, Aug. 15, at 7:30 p.m. The game will be televised from Gillette Stadium on WBZ Channel 4, with Dan Roche and Christian Fauria again providing the call from the booth and Matt Chatham and Steve Burton reporting from the sidelines. WBZ Channel 4 will provide television coverage for the Patriots’ final two preseason games as well, with New England taking on Carolina at Gillette Stadium on Aug. 22 before traveling to New Jersey to face the New York Giants on Aug. 28.